As a Christian woman in leadership of an organization that is daily extending valiant efforts to educate fellow Christians on why we must be “awake” in support of our Jewish brethren amidst the encroaching dangers of the dramatic new rise in global anti-Semitism, I would admonish Israel’s Genesis Awards to be more thoughtful of to whom they choose to pay homage.

Noting they seek to “honor individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievements along with their commitment to Jewish values and the Jewish people,” unfortunate that Natalie Portman obviously has no real appreciation of the tremendous opportunity she has to be a real light for Judaism in a world climate that is again darkening over Israel and her people. Perhaps it doesn’t matter to her. Nor did it matter perhaps that she was to be the first young woman to ever receive the Genesis Award. It is by most considered a coveted honor and often referred to as “Israel’s Nobel Prize.”

Had she not refused for political reasons to go to Israel to accept the honor, it was announced she would have chosen to bestow her $2 million award on her professed passion for ‘women’s causes.’ I am sorry for the millions of women who might have benefitted. Instead, she chose to make a selfish and unfortunately misinformed left-leaning turn to allow herself to be used as a political pawn in the defense of and a tool in the hand of the very real culture of enemies that seek to destroy Israel at its’ people. And this while saying as a Jew, she is wishing to distance herself from “today’s atrocities,” noting they are “not in line with my Jewish values.”

Certainly better in line for the honoring of real Jewish values as I have come to love and appreciate them is Natalie’s fellow actress Gal Gadot, who is not ashamed to call her Grandfather, who lost his entire family at Auschwitz her “hero whose legacy is living with us forever.” Posting a tribute to him last week on Holocaust Remembrance Day, she noted: “I think of you today, at this very moment of remembrance which is also a call for all of us to act against discrimination of any kind, anywhere in the world.”

This is representative of the beautiful heart and spirit of a new generation of Jews that I have encountered. I daily find the strength needed for the hard work of my organization on behalf of the Jewish people because of this indomitable courage and renewed hope for Israel and its people that live in the hearts of Israel’s young.

Are you listening, Genesis Awards?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laurie Cardoza-Moore, is President and Founder of Proclaiming Justice to The Nations (PJTN.org), and serves as UN Special Envoy for the World Council of Independent Christian Churches (WCICC) representing human rights violations against women and children. She served as producer of the recently released award-winning documentary Boycott THIS! which had its global release in Jerusalem in 2016. PJTN is at the forefront of the struggle against the anti-Semitic BDS movement worldwide. She is, herself, proud of her discovered Jewish lineage. Resource PJTN at: www.pjtn.org

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